“It is great that BC3’s lab is being held in Ford City. This cuts down on their travel time.”
(Ford City, PA) Volunteer firefighters inspired to aid ill or injured patients are benefiting from Butler County Community College’s first Workforce Development training course to be held at BC3 @ Armstrong in Ford City, an Armstrong County official said.
The adults serve the Manor Township Volunteer Fire Company, McGrann; Washington Township Volunteer Fire Department, Adrian; West Hills Emergency Services, Kittanning; and other organizations. They are developing skills through hands-on laboratory sessions at BC3 @ Armstrong as part of the college’s hybrid emergency medical responder training course that prepares students to take state certification examinations.
“It is great that BC3’s lab is being held in Ford City,” said Michael Mollick, director of Armstrong County’s public safety department. “This cuts down on their travel time. They are able to get that same quality program in Ford City as opposed to driving all the way to Butler.
“This gives them more time to spend with their family as well as getting needed education to help our community.”
The volunteer firefighters in BC3’s 72-hour, nine-week training course are studying in laboratories and online to earn first-level emergency medical responder certification from the state Department of Health and from the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.
Laboratory sessions are being held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through July 8 at BC3 @ Armstrong in Ford City, established in 2023 to accommodate an increase in enrollment at the college’s previous additional location in nearby Manor Township.
Skills, techniques developing for “the crucial moments”
Students are learning lifting and moving techniques, advanced first aid, oxygen administration, CPR and initial stabilization skills to assist patients “from the time an incident happens,” said Tom Buttyan, coordinator of BC3’s emergency medical services and police training programs, “until the ambulance is able to get on scene. The crucial moments when things need to be done.”
The demand for emergency medical services nationwide is projected to require an additional 40,000 full-time personnel by 2030, according to a February 2023 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Bureau of Health Workforce.
“The same crisis that we are having with staffing in Butler County is statewide, if not nationwide,” Buttyan said. “So the fire departments are looking to get more involved and help people.”
“Our goal is to provide our training programs in the communities that we serve as a college. We always feel privileged to be able to deliver necessary training to our first responders.”
Fire chiefs “excited about this program”
Rob Cousins has been an emergency medical technician for 34 years and with others is instructing the college’s laboratory at BC3 @ Armstrong.
“I’ve been in contact with a couple of fire chiefs from this area,” Cousins said, “and they’re very excited about this program.”
As is Lisa Campbell, dean of BC3’s Workforce Development division.
“Our goal is to provide our training programs in the communities that we serve as a college,” Campbell said. “We always feel privileged to be able to deliver necessary training to our first responders.”
Firefighters attending BC3’s course range in age from 26 to 45.
“It takes a special person,” Mollick said, “to want to step up and volunteer their time to be away from their family and events to go help strangers in their time of need.”
Progressive emergency medical services certifications are emergency medical technician, advanced emergency medical technician and paramedic.
Emergency medical technician and paramedic are high-priority occupations in Armstrong County, according to the state Department of Labor & Industry.
BC3’s Lifelong Learning department has also offered its personal enrichment courses at BC3 @ Armstrong, where students can also pursue associate degrees in business administration, general studies and in psychology.
Armstrong County fire companies can seek grants to help to defray the $425 tuition for each student in BC3’s course, Buttyan said.
The state Department of Health accredits BC3’s emergency medical services programs and in September announced a $1 million tuition assistance program to help recruit and retain emergency medical services professionals.
Pennsylvanians who obtain the state’s certification as an emergency medical responder, emergency medical technician, advanced emergency medical technician or paramedic after July 1, 2023, are eligible to have a portion of their tuition reimbursed.
